Off-Campus Opportunities
Our team has curated an extensive (though not exhaustive) database of relevant off-campus opportunities for graduate students. These opportunities are an excellent way to continue your development as a scholar and further pursue the discussions we bring to campus through our extracurricular student programs and public events.
We also provide targeted funding to CCCG-affiliated graduate students to help make participation in these programs financially feasible.
If there are other opportunities that you think should be featured on this page, please contact Tyler Castle (tcastle2@nd.edu)
Academic Seminars & Fellowships
Academia Tocqueville: Academia Tocqueville is a one-and-a-half week summer seminar that provides an intensive introduction to the varieties of modern French conservatism. Sessions will take place in Paris, with the program conducted in English. Throughout the seminar, participants study the liberal-conservative tradition and encounter representatives of counter-revolutionary and nationalist thought. Alongside intensive daily seminars, participants will visit some of the most important cultural and historical sites of Paris.
Acton Institute Novak Award: Named after distinguished American theologian Michael Novak, this $15,000 award rewards new outstanding scholarly research concerning the relationship between religion, economic freedom, and the free and virtuous society. This award recognizes those scholars early in their academic career who demonstrate outstanding intellectual merit in advancing the understanding of theology’s connection to human dignity, the importance of the rule of law, limited government, religious liberty, and freedom in economic life.
The Civitas Dei Fellowship: The Civitas Dei Summer Fellowship is a project sponsored by the Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America and the Thomistic Institute at the Dominican House of Studies that offers competitive fellowships drawing from across fields in the sciences, humanities, and law. Accepted fellowship recipients attend a one-week program in Washington, DC. that offers courses and seminars given by distinguished scholars focusing on some aspect of Catholic thought in relation to culture and public life.
Claremont Institute Publius Fellowship: Every summer, the Claremont Institute brings together a selective group of promising young conservatives to study the distinctive moral and political principles of the American constitutional order. In over forty intensive daily seminars and relaxed evening symposia, Publius Fellows discuss political philosophy and American government with distinguished scholars.
Clements Center: Each July, the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin convenes a weeklong seminar for current doctoral students focused on the connections between statecraft and history. The seminar will feature in-depth discussions with top scholars and senior policymakers and intelligence officials, as well as sessions devoted to academic publishing and strategies for approaching the academic and policy job markets.
Humanities at Hertog: Since Winter 2020, Humanities at Hertog has been devoted to a rigorous and exemplary educational experience that transcends the deficiencies of online learning. Through its virtual seminars, you can expect small classes of 10-15 peers who share your love of ideas, guided by a passionate teacher. The courses offered through the Humanities program provide an opportunity not only to reflect on what great texts bring to bear on enduring questions, but also how to begin a community in conversation. The virtual seminars generally take place in the fall or winter months.
Institute for Human Ecology: The Catholic University of America’s Institute for Human Ecology hosts various programs in the summers, including a seminar at the Angelicum in Rome and an England pilgrimage. The programs largely focus on the Catholic intellectual and spiritual tradition. Upper level graduate students and young academics are encouraged to apply. While background in this or related subject matter is preferred, applicants from all disciplines will be considered.
Institute for Humane Studies: The Institute for Humane Studies offers funded, week-long summer seminars that bring together aspiring academics and esteemed faculty for rigorous academic discussion that examine the merits and challenges of a free society. Graduate students and advanced undergraduates explore the profound necessity of liberty through interdisciplinary panels, lectures, and discussions. IHS also offers a variety of funding opportunities to graduate students, especially related to research and conference attendance.
Lumen Christi Institute: Now in their fifteenth year, the Lumen Christi Institute Summer Seminars in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition introduce participants to central themes, figures, and texts spanning a range of topics, but all rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition. Seminars take place in various locations at various times throughout the summer.
Richard M. Weaver Fellowship: The Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s Weaver Fellowship is a prestigious award that supports graduate students who are committed to the principles of the Western intellectual tradition and the study of humane letters. Weaver Fellows are selected based on their academic achievements, commitment to teaching, and potential to contribute significantly to the renewal of higher education.
Scoville Peace Fellowship: Twice yearly, the fellowship’s Board of Directors selects a small group of outstanding individuals to spend six to nine months in Washington, DC. Scoville Fellows work full time at the participating organization of their choice. Scoville Fellows have rich opportunities to gain experience and leadership skills and to help translate their social concerns into direct action. Each fellow selects a board member and a former fellow to serve as mentors, smoothing the transition to Washington, DC.
The Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society: Taking place in Cracow, Poland, this two-week summer seminar features classes and lectures on the topics revolving around culture, politics, and economy of the free society, democracy and capitalism. The seminar also includes visits to sites that highlight Poland’s distinctive history and culture: Częstochowa, Auschwitz, the old Jewish quarter of Cracow, the shrine of St. Faustina, Wawel Castle and cathedral, and a walking tour of “Karol Wojtyła’s Kraków.” The program also offers an opportunity to partake in prayer and daily mass.
Witherspoon Institute: Hosted at Princeton University, these seminars explore vital moral questions in social, philosophical, legal, and political thought. Topics include "Natural Law and Public Affairs" and "First Principles," as well as "Moral Foundations of Law" for law students.
Post-Docs
James Madison Program Postdoctoral Research Associates: The James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University invites early-career scholars without ongoing positions, who have recently received their Ph.D. degree, to apply for fully funded, 12-month Postdoctoral Research Associate appointments. Applicants are expected to be in residence for the duration of the appointment, and are expected to devote full time to their proposed research. They are also encouraged to attend or participate in various activities of the Program, including faculty-graduate student seminars, colloquia, and public lectures.
Lumen Christi Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition: Based in Chicago, The Lumen Christi Institute invites applications for two postdoctoral fellowships per year (starting in 2024). The program offers funding to support the research and professional development of exceptional scholars in Catholic studies. The specific field of study is open and may include – but is not limited to – art and visual culture, bioethics and biotechnology, economics, history, law, literature, philosophy, politics, religious studies, sociology, and theology. In addition to pursuing a robust research agenda, the successful candidate will participate regularly in the life and activities of the Lumen Christi Institute, including opportunities for public engagement. The initial appointment is for two years, with the possibility of renewal for a third year.
Additional information about resources and opportunities for graduate students can be accessed on the Political Science department website.